


Hug For: the Texture of Sweet

by IwriteDreams



Series: Hug for: [9]
Category: World Trigger (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Hugs, M/M, Manly hugs, author has a very strange way of thinking about Kages side effect and it's kinda fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 23:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20348737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IwriteDreams/pseuds/IwriteDreams
Summary: Kou awkward smiles at his feet. A few steps space out his words.“Thank you, Kage.”Kage slows to a stop, Kou right beside him, and he isn’t quite sure what to say. Kage isn’t usually on the receiving end of gratitude. Or the giving end. It’s new all around.





	Hug For: the Texture of Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt, MANLY HUGS

The hallways of Border all seem the same, like a labyrinth with no end. sometimes it pissed off Kage that there wasn’t more direction, to prevent prickly people from getting lost and wandering by his squad room, causing him to twitch. On days like this, however, with most people on holiday? Nobody was lost in the halls, and the endless, directionless halls almost made Kage feel like he could wader here forever. In circles. Doing nothing but feeling the warming presence of Kou Murakami. 

Every person Kage had ever met had a presence of some kind. Inukai’s sensation was like a loud clapping in his mind- whereas Ema was a quiet little tap at his ankle. Kitazoe was a stroking on his shoulder- but Kou was different. Kou’s presence was almost a fog-like aura- that poured into him from the back of Kage’s neck. It was a sensation that Kage had only ever felt coming from Jin- whose aura feeling had a scratch to it, and was by his belly. Kou felt like steam, water, and silk combined. It was nice. 

Of course, the feeling changed with attitudes. Ema could sometimes feel like a knife stab to his ankle, and Inukai made Kage feel like his brains were being crushed in a hydraulic press in rapid succession more often than not. However, Kage can’t recall a single time in which Kou ever felt unpleasant. When Kou was upset, it felt like a cool pool on a summers day. When he was excited it was a soft buzzing, when he was happy to see Kage it was a little flare of warmth, not too hot, just the right amount. 

Kou today, was more on that chilling-pool side, which felt nice, to counterbalance a headache that Kage was currently sporting- but still means something is eating away at Kou. 

“Okay. I’ll bite.” Kage said. “I’m happy that you wanted to walk with me- but what’s up with you?”

Kou doesn’t slow down. “I’m sorry, is my worry hurting your side effect?”

“No, but something up with ya’. I got eyes.”

Kou frowned. “You heard that Afrune quit being an attacker, right?”

Kage grimaced. “Yeah. What of it?”

Kou smiled sadly at his feet as they kept walking endlessly around hallways. Just for an excuse to be alone. “When I first heard…. I felt really bad. I thought maybe it was my fault.”

“What? How?”

“With my side effect. “Kou said, sadly- a tone Kage had never heard used when discussing Kou’s side effect- it was an amazing ability. “I learn so much faster than everybody else. I steal all their hard work… and creativity… I snatch it away… and I use it for my benefit. I know that I’m a valuable asset in battle… but I worry that my success makes other people feel like their hard work isn’t valuable… which isn't true, nor fair.” 

Kage huffed. “I think you’re putting too much thought into this.” 

“You think so?” And Kou sounds… mildly distressed. It’s a new look on him for sure. “Isn’t it really… heartbreaking to look around at all the amazing things other people can do with ease, yet you fail no matter how hard you try?”

“Afrune wouldn’t give up though,” Kage said. “He’s a stubborn asshole. He would never quit because somebody was better.”

“Well… that’s what he told me. He told me that it wasn’t my fault.”

“There you go, problem solved.”

“But just because that’s not what happened this time around? Doesn’t mean it hadn’t happened.” 

Kage stops and looks at Kou’s face. He looks hollow and shocked.

“Just because that wasn’t the case this time? Doesn’t mean it won’t be the case in the future.”

Kage’s at a loss for words for a moment, their steps have both slowed, and Kou is drawing deep breaths now to help keep his tone of voice even. 

“I guess… I just feel really bad.” Kou admitted. “I want to be able to set goals and achieve them. I want to be able to succeed and work hard out of passion or boredom. But every time I win a fight, I just worry about the other person. It’s draining me. I can’t succeed at anything anymore without feeling bad. I can only succeed when I’m alone. At that point though, what’s the point of succeeding alone? What’s it worth?’

Kou abruptly dropped off, steps slowing even further before he draws a deep breath again. “I’m sorry, you of all people don't deserve to hear my complaints about my side effect.”

“It’s okay,” Kage said, and he really did mean it. “I never realized. I’m really… sorry to hear that. That’s…. Tough.”

“Not as tough as yours though,” Kou said. “What am I thinking…?” 

“No- they’re both tough in different ways. It’s okay to hurt, man.”

Kou awkward smiles at his feet. A few steps space out his words. 

“Thank you, Kage.” 

Kage slows to a stop, Kou right beside him, and he isn’t quite sure what to say. Kage isn’t usually on the receiving end of gratitude. Or the giving end. It’s new all around. Strangely though the words form quick enough. 

“Yeah. Anytime.”

Without any other words being spoken, Kou turned and quietly enveloped Kage in a quiet hug. Kage wasn’t sure how to react, or why he was so strangely okay with all this, but he pats Kou’s back like he sees men do with other guys in movies. 

It’s over quickly, Kou stepping back, and resuming their aimless walk down the hall. Kou feels more at peace, and relieved, if the feeling wafting up Kage’s neck is anything to go by- but there’s a hint of something else too. Not the excitement buzz, not the cool of sadness or nerves. Similar to the warmth of contentedness- but not quite. It was something more alien. It was like if sweet had a texture. Of like bubbles that never popped, but only bounced. The feeling of standing in the sun patch on a cloudy day, but without the temperature. Kage’s hand found the back of his neck immediately, trying to place what it was he was feeling from Kou towards him. There weren't any adjective in existence to describe the feeling. It felt like watching a tiny flower grow and die with the seasons. Like skipping rocks on glass-smooth water surfaces. Lovely to behold, but caving into the inevitable.

As he pondered it, he felt Kou’s effect change. Honing on his body. Like Kou was ready to attack. But instead of feeling the painful version of Kou’s effect, like an attack, would feel like, it remained peaceful and calm. Kage wasn’t sure he’s ever felt peaceful feeling change places on his body. But there it was, spreading around in his chest. Still as wonderfully curious as before- but never unpleasant. 

Kage started at Kou, his feet still carrying him a few steps behind. Was Kou aware he was giving off this energy? Kage felt his heart pound, why was it honing? Why was it so peaceful and kind? Kage didn’t know what to do. Should he ask what Kou was thinking about?

That’s when Kage gets a good look at Kou, and he sees his hands trembling a bit. Just a tiny bit. Kage reaches around in the feeling of Kou’s aura for any feeling of anxiety or worry. It was hidden deep in there, but Kage finally found and identified the background feelings of crickets rubbing themselves together to make music. A subtle little grind of ridges, almost a tickle. Nervousness was one part of the feeling, but everything else was impossible to decipher. 

Trembling hands, peaceable feelings, coupled with anxiety? Alone, in the hallways, confessing to Kage issues that he held close to himself… honing in at his chest?

It took Kage only a few more moments to put it all together. And if the red color that consumed Kage whole was anything to go by? He didn’t mind this revelation one bit.

**Author's Note:**

> blahhhhhhhhhhhh writing


End file.
